Usain Bolt‘s record in the sprinting world is nothing short of legendary. His incredible achievements include the 100m and 200m world records of 9.58 seconds and 19.19 seconds respectively. Now, as the sporting world turns its gaze towards the Paris Olympics, the question looms: Who will break Bolt’s records? All eyes are on two rising stars: Noah Lyles and Oblique Seville. Both athletes possess the potential to shatter Bolt’s record and carve their names into history.

Noah Lyles vs. Oblique Seville: Quest for Usain Bolt’s record

A recent post by World Athletics stirred excitement with the news of Oblique Seville’s remarkable victory at the Racers Grand Prix 2024. Their caption, “Watch the name 🤯 🇯🇲’s Oblique Seville takes down world champ Noah Lyles in Kingston with a world-leading 9.82m 100m 🔥Meet record ✅Personal best ✅ World lead ✅”. It highlighted just how significant Seville’s victory was. This coupled with Bolt’s interview with CNW Network where he said the men’s 100m at the Paris Olympics was “wide open” after Seville’s win, has generated a lot of interest. On the other hand, Noah Lyles is the reigning 2023 World Athletics Champion in the 100m, 200, and 4x100m relay. He even earned a Bronze in the 200m event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and has publicly taken up the challenge of defeating Usain Bolt’s records. 

He said, “He [ Usain Bolt] was the fastest man ever to do it and soon, it’ll be me.” Meanwhile, Seville broke Usain’s record set eight years ago at the 2024 Racers Grand Prix in Kingston. He recorded a personal best at the event of 9.82 seconds topping Lyles’ 9.85 seconds record. Seville expressed his surprise at his own achievement, stating, “I’m a little surprised. It’s special to be able to run so fast without too much specific work. It shows that I can still do better.” Seville also won the 200m event at the 2024 Adidas Atlanta City Games, crossing the line in 19.96 seconds. Lyles’ personal best is 9.83 seconds in the 100m and 19.31 seconds in the 200m, indicating he’s not far behind Bolt’s records.

Additionally, Lyles won the 150m event with a time of 14.41 seconds to equal Tyson Gay’s American record. Gay and Lyles share the same coach as well. Noah Lyles is coached by Lance Brauman, the head coach and founder of the PURE Athletics group. So, Lyles definitely has a lot of experience in his corner. However, Oblique Seville is coached by Glen Mills, who is the head coach of the Racers track club in Jamaica. This is the club that Usain Bolt used to be a part of. Additionally, Glen Mills coached Bolt to 8 Olympic medals and 11 World Championship golds. Mills can therefore be considered someone who truly knows how to push athletes on the field.

Before the Adidas Pros, Lyles said in an interview that sports is, “90% mental and 10% physical.” He has always been vocal about taking help from sports and personal therapists to navigate through the pressure. However, Seville’s performances on the world stages are a testament to his strong mental fortitude. But, Lyles is a more senior sprinter and has been victorious in many elite stages so he definitely has more experience to withstand pressure. Recently, Lyles acknowledged Seville’s impressive feat, saying, “Oblique is leading the world right now by leaps and bounds.” But he is not stepping down from the challenge, as he declared, “So at this point, I’m walking in the USA is like, no, better put something on your chest before I cave in your chest.” The competition for the gold at the Paris Olympics is definitely going to be exciting to watch. 

Are sprinters really ready to challenge Usain Bolt’s legacy?

After the Jamaican Grand Prix, the conversation about who will win gold at the Summer Olympics in August has certainly shifted. Lyles had been having a stellar season since winning the title of the “fastest man alive” at the 2023 World Championships. However, his second-place silver to Seville’s first-place gold has disrupted his momentum. Lyles’ personal records are a testament to his prowess. He is the seventh-fastest man in history in the 100m event. Additionally, he is the third-fastest sprinter in the 200m event after Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake.